Ghosts of the past, Shadows of the future
by Storm Weaver1
Summary: As you guys can see, I'm reposting this under a new name. Hopefully there are no more problems with it now. Summary: The Gundam pilots find themselves (minus one) in a battle of power against those they have trusted. Can they find the way (and the needed
1. Default Chapter

Read this first!!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own ANY of the characters from Gundam Wing. I'm only playing around with them for a bit, but I promise to return them ^_^! The reason I'm posting this here is because repeating this for every single chapter is mind-boggling.  
  
Also, a WARNING (I know how much people hate having to read things that they don't really care about, so lets make this short, ok??):  
  
There are certain thing in this fic that some of you might not like and/or not be old to read about (if that's the case, please don't continue. I do accept flames, but only as constructive criticism. If you didn't read this warning and you flame me because of it. well, I guess I'll have a bonfire and roast some marshmallow. Understood?? Besides that, I'll answer any and all questions you guys have). Another detail: I haven't read book 5 (read: I'm broke, so I can't buy it) and thus there won't be spoilers for it.  
  
Now, as for the things you might not like: there will be mentions of NCS (aka: Rape), character torture (and death), some gore, etc, etc. You get the point. Also, this is a YAOI fic (that means SLASH, m/m sex). If you aren't into it you might not like this.  
  
If this hasn't sacred you away, please read & review!!!!!! 


	2. Prologue

Prologue  
  
~*~ Duo's point of view ~*~  
  
It has been three years and still his shadow haunts me. If I had done something different, would he still be alive? Because no matter what the others say, him being death is my fault. I should have been more careful, I should have done a better job. So many things that should have gone differently, so many things that I regret.  
  
The others tried to convince me that it wasn't my fault, but I simply can't believe it. It was my fault, my mistake, and it cost him his life.  
  
Foolish me for believing that we had all the time in the world, for not telling him everything that had been weighing in my heart for so long. Foolish me for not telling him that I.  
  
It should have been me, not him.  
  
It should have been me. 


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
~*~ Quatre's point of view. ~*~  
  
Poor Duo. I know he thinks we don't notice, but my space heart can tell.  
  
I've lost count of how many times Duo has gone through the mission recordings, analyzing second after agonizing second. Looking for what? Only he knows.  
  
We've told him a thousand times, it wasn't his fault. And yet, he still punishes himself over it. Hell, we've all seen the scars he tries so hard to hide. I wish I knew how to help him.  
  
It grieves me to see him like this.  
  
But there are two thing I know, even if I can't believe one of them.  
  
One: Duo loved Heero more than he'll even admit to himself. We all believed it was just a crush, hell I'm pretty sure Duo believed it too. The others pretend that they don't see, that they never noticed. I find it unjust. Both to Duo and to Heero. Because I now that Duo was just as loved.  
  
Two: as unbelievable as it sounds, I can't help feeling that Heero isn't gone. The lines that bound my heart to the other pilots are just as strong as the one that still binds him to me. None of them know about it, and admitting it would be painful. It would mean that I'd have to tell them that I know what each of them hides in their hearts. That I have invaded their privacy.  
  
I just wish. But, it's impossible, right? If Heero were still alive. He would have come back, right?  
  
~*~ Trowa's point of view ~*~  
  
Quatre is doing it again. I know it, and yet I can't stop it. Ever since he learned how to control that space heart of his, he's been keeping tags on all of us. I can only thank any god that might be listening, that he hadn't yet tagged Heero when he died. What that kind of pain would have done to my love. It makes me shudder just to think of it.  
  
Don't take me wrong, Heero was my friend and I cared a lot for him (bloody hell! the guy saved my life and Quatre's sanity, all in one blow; and he saved our lives enough times for me to not appreciate it!) but I'm still relieved that Quatre didn't suffer with him (as selfish and egotistical as it sounds).  
  
Ironic, isn't it? He tried so hard to kill himself, and he died when he was trying to live.  
  
Memories did always tend to make me bitter.  
  
Poor Duo, he really took it hard. Hell, even Relena has moved on. We all worry about him, Quatre the most.  
  
Speaking of Quatre, I think my blue-eyed love is hiding something, something only he knows. I just hope it isn't Duo being suicidal, another death will surely be the end of us.  
  
~*~ Wufei's point of view ~*~  
  
There they go again, it happens every time we meet: the three of them are lost in their memories. Who would have thought that the death of Heero Yuy, of all people, would be the one thing that would break the mighty Gundam pilots?  
  
Sure, Quatre's kindness and the baka's cheerfulness gave us normalcy. Hell, I even served as entertainment. Trowa's analytical thinking kept us sane.  
  
But it was Heero's strength, his perseverance and his courage, what pulled us through.  
  
We owed him so much, and yet we never thanked him. We treated him unfairly, and yet he never complained. We never understood.  
  
If I had known then what I know now.  
  
Six months after his death, the Preventers found J's lab. I never told the others about it. I simply couldn't, not after watching those tapes and being an impotent witness of ten years of torture and pain. I couldn't even finish the first tape. Une watched them all, though, and she spent more than an hour emptying her stomach of what seemed like everything she had eaten during the year.  
  
I believe that, on a subconscious level, they all know. Perhaps Quatre only has a vague idea; but Trowa did live with the mercenaries, and Duo has told me a couple of "stories" about what it was like being a street child on L2. They know, and yet something prevents me from telling them, as if this story must be told by other lips, another time.  
  
Whose and when, I don't know.  
  
I just wish they'd bloody snap out of it. They don't honor Heero's death by just moping around! Least of all Maxwell. Heero would have wanted him to go on, to live a happy life, and all he does is waste away.  
  
Goddamnit!!!  
  
I hate being so powerless. 


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
~*~ Relena's point of view ~*~  
  
They think I'm over him.  
  
Fools.  
  
I love him just as much, if not even more, that when he was alive.  
  
I still remember waking up that day. There was someone in my room, seated beside my bed, and, for just a moment, I thought it was him. That was, of course, until I noticed the long mane of platinum-blond hair.  
  
They had called Milliardo, too afraid to face me themselves.  
  
In quiet tones, he told me that there had been an accident during a mission, and that Heero was involved.  
  
I think he was just as afraid as the others were.  
  
By then, I was frantic. In my mind I was already planning about rescue missions and media cover-ups. I was so nervous that I began to pace and babble, as I wringed my hands.  
  
My brother told me later that he ended up screaming and shaking me until I got back to my senses.  
  
And that's when he told me the horrible truth: that my love was gone, and he was not coming back.  
  
My heart. My world. My dreams and hopes. It all shattered before my eyes. A heads-on collision with reality scattered the pieces of my very soul, and the one person that could pull them back together was.  
  
I didn't want to think about it. I simply couldn't face life without him.  
  
The funeral went in a blur, as did the weeks, and then the months.  
  
Death.  
  
Silence.  
  
That was all I felt for a long time. That, and anger. And much to my regret, I directed that anger towards Duo. He was just as broken as I was, but pain made me blind and deaf, cold. I needed to discharge my anger against someone, and I chose the one person that I could damage the most. The one that was suffering as much, if not more, than I was.  
  
May God and Heero forgive me, because I hurt someone that didn't deserve it, someone that was as much of a victim as I was.  
  
And now there is no way of taking it back.  
  
~*~ Milliardo's point of view~*~  
  
I should have been nicer to the little bastard. If I had, perhaps I would be feeling better. Guilt is a horrible feeling, I tell you, and the worst part is that it just keeps eating at you, keeping you awake in the middle of the night with this whole troop of "if only's" at its service. It is a really nasty little bugger.  
  
Hearing Relena pace all night long doesn't help either.  
  
It turns out it wasn't only a bad case of teenage lust, or a crush, for that matter. She really did love him. Why or how, your guess is as good as mine. I simply cant understand my sister. Or women, now that we are at it. They are the world's most mind-wrecking creatures (until three years ago, Heero Yuy held that title) and there is simply no way to figure out what they are thinking, and whenever you try to guess. Well, lets just leave it at it being a very bad idea (particularly if your guess has anything to do with Une, there is just no freaking way to guess which personality is in control!!!!).  
  
I'm getting side-tracked, am I not? Where was I. Oh, yes. Guilt. It has been making my life miserable for three years, and I still don't know what to do about it. The tiny little bastard finally got his wish and got blown to hell, and here I am, at uhh. 2:30 in the freaking morning!!, pondering what could have happened if I had only been nicer to the guy.  
  
Ok, so I must admit that I felt bad about him dying and all (although I did consider making a party and celebrating, perhaps that's where my guilt is coming from!), and I do regret that the others suffered about it, but come on!!!!!! I want to god fucking damnit have a good hour's worth of sleep!!! Is that too much to ask! ?! ?  
  
RRRRRIIIINNNNGGGG  
  
Apparently so. 


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
RRRRRIIIINNNNGGGG  
  
The phone brought Quatre back from his musings. Around him, the other pilots seemed to be slowly coming back to life.  
  
His eyes went to the clock, the softly glowing numbers mocked him. 2:40. In the morning. He could still hear the phone ringing and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wufei making his way towards it. A few seconds later, a bleary-eyed Sally was on the screen.  
  
-"Good, hmm, morning. I think. Uhh, Une wants you four to haul ass down to HQ. Don't ask me why, I certainly don't have the slightest idea. But she did say that she needed you here yesterday and. I'm babbling, am I not? I always tend to do that when I haven't slept. Oh, God. I need coffee!!"  
  
With that, the screen went blank. Wufei turned to the others with a slightly annoyed expression.  
  
-"Maxwell is not driving, clear?"  
  
-"What!! Hey, I'm not that bad!!"  
  
-"No, you're worse."  
  
Duo blew him a raspberry. Wufei went read, his hand inching towards his katana, while Trowa stood to the side, watching, an amused expression on his face. And Quatre ended up wondering how on earth were they going to make it in one piece.  
  
And so it was that they finally found themselves at Preventers Headquarters, on their way to Une's office. Down the hall they could see Zechs and Noin talking quietly and obviously flirting with one another.  
  
Duo felt a pan at the display. Heero.   
  
Quatre was giving him the Look, obviously aware of where his thoughts were drifting to. A pat on the back, in a vain try to reassure him, and they reached the couple.  
  
Zechs looked as if he hadn't slept in a year: he sported dark rings around his eyes and his hair was barely contained in a sloppy ponytail. Noin was being her cheerful self, already having a good dose of caffeine in her system.  
  
-"So, you guys know what she wants?"  
  
-"If we knew, Maxwell, we wouldn't tell you."  
  
-"Got up on the wrong side again, huh? You should really consider getting laid, Milli. That would probably relax you."  
  
Zechs leveled a glare on him, while muttering something under his breath.  
  
-"What was that? I didn't quiet hear you."  
  
Before the blond man could answer, the door to the office was thrown open, and a really frightened technician ran for the elevator as if he had every demon from hell at his tail. They were left standing there, gaping as the cloud of dust settled in his wake, and wondering what exactly was going on.  
  
That was, until a very tired Sally peeked out the door, and turned to inform her superior officer of their arrival.  
  
-"Get your asses in here, NOW!!!!!"  
  
Sally was not having a nice time. Une had had her working for more than 72 straight hours, and she desperately needed a rest. Hell, she had taken (stolen, seemed more like it) more than an hour to rest before she called in her friends, using as an excuse that she couldn't find them any faster. She wasn't entirely sure that her boss had bought it, but it had given her some desperately needed shut eye. Still, she felt that now that the others were here, perhaps a few more hands working to solve this mess would make it easier for all the involved. She was pretty sure that that poor man from tech support was going to be begging to be fired by morning (well, later in the morning), as they were not accepting resignations until the situation was solved.  
  
With a sigh, she returned her attention to the new discussion taking place before her eyes. She just hoped that Duo would keep his mouth shut. Upsetting Une anymore would probably send them all to the guillotine. Now that she thought about it, Wufei should probably keep his thoughts to himself too.  
  
Une watched calculatingly as her new "victims" stepped into the chamber of their doom. Oh, yes, she was feeling vindictive. It had been a while since something had pissed her of as badly as the actual situation had. If she couldn't have her beauty sleep, then no-one in Preventers would.  
  
-"Its good to see you can actually make it on time to anything, Preventer Maxwell."  
  
He froze, like a deer caught in headlights, when her tone sank in. The sheepish grin he gave her was tinged with nervousness. Good. Now he knew where the wind was blowing from.  
  
-"We have a situation, one that may require your particular field of expertise."  
  
-"Which one? Terrorism? Infiltration? Stealing?."  
  
-"All of the above, and then some. You see, I want you to take up what you all are best at."  
  
-"And that would be.?"  
  
-"Kisama!! Maxwell, are you really that dense!? She's talking about the Gundams!"  
  
-"But she can't be, Wu-man, because there are no Gundams!!"  
  
-"Actually."  
  
Everyone turned to look at Sally. She couldn't help but blush under their stares. Her eyes went to Une, asking her permission to continue. Quatre caught the look and turned to Une.  
  
-"You've got to be kidding, right? We destroyed them. You didn't actually replace them with fake ones and kept the real ones hidden somewhere. That's impossible!! I mean, we checked, we made sure of what we were doing, specially after."  
  
Quatre immediately stopped his ramblings, noticing the paleness that had come to Duo's face. He hadn't meant to remind him of it, and here he was, causing him more pain. Une looked at him in understanding, but shook her head softly.  
  
-"No, we didn't deceive you like that. A while ago, we found J's lab. In his files, we found detailed blue prints of each Gundam, along with enough instructions and directions for it to be incredibly easy to build our own. We've even enhanced them, using the newest technology and every single resource we have. We hope that they will be enough to stop our new enemy."  
  
-"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Trowa was looking at her, probably judging how much of what she was saying was reliable. She had never been able to completely understand pilot 03. He always managed to baffle her in every singe possible way (not that she was going to admit it).  
  
-"It means that we don't have a plan B. You're all we've got."  
  
Turning to her computer, she quickly tipped her access codes. A couple of seconds later, a hologram appeared above her desk. Seven machines of mass destruction, all with their respective data.  
  
-"Deathscythe!!"  
  
Duo's cheerfulness was contagious. The men moved closer to inspect the image of their respective Gundams. Noin looked pleased at seeing the white Taurus that had been destined for her.  
  
Their excitement died just as quickly as it began. All eyes were focused on the winged suit marked as 01.  
  
-"Why don't you seat down, and I'll finish my briefing, hm?"  
  
Everyone returned to their seat, albeit hesitantly.  
  
-"Now, our new enemies have not revealed their intentions, yet. They have made several attempts against the lives of several members of the Congress, and there have been even more terrorist attacks against heavily populated areas. We believe that they are specifically trying to attract our attention, but we don't know why. We know of at least three possible bases, two of them are most probably MS factories. We need to stop this people. The newest rumor picked up by our underground contacts has it that they are even more powerful than OZ, the White Fan, or any of our previous enemies. If its true, then they have to be stopped before things get out of hand. Our first problem, though, is that you are going to need Wing Zero. I know you can deal with two factories, but we don't know how many more there are, or how many MS's they have got by now."  
  
-"I agree with you, but there is a problem."  
  
-"Zechs is right, as much as I hate to admit it. We are the best damn pilots there are, and none of us can pilot that Gundam."  
  
Everyone nodded at Duo's words. Une couldn't help but smile sweetly at him.  
  
-"Perhaps that is why your first mission, whether or not you wish to accept it, is to find a pilot capable of doing so." 


	6. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Silence met her statement.  
  
-"You do realize that it is practically impossible to find a pilot as good as Heero Yuy, right?"  
  
-"As much as I hated that kid, even I admit that he was the best, Une. Barton is right. There is no way we can find someone capable of sustaining the Zero system in time for him or her to be of any use."  
  
Most of the others nodded.  
  
-"Wufei, any ideas?"  
  
The Chinese man met her questioning gaze.  
  
-"Perhaps."  
  
-"Well, let us hear it Wu-man. It's not as if anyone else knows what to do."  
  
Wufei ignored him, his eyes still locked with Une's.  
  
-"Do you still have the tapes?"  
  
Much to everyone's surprise, her face turned slightly green.  
  
-"You don't really expect me to watch that again, do you?"  
  
-"Don't be stupid, ona. I know very well what would happen. No, it is just a hunch, but one that could help us."  
  
-"I've already analyzed them, I assure you that."  
  
-"Just give me the stupid tapes!!"  
  
Sally tried to subtly kick her partner, but he easily sidestepped it and continued glaring at Une. Her boss was obviously not happy, although she couldn't understand why. What could possibly be in those tapes that would make her try to stop Wufei from taking them?  
  
Unhappily, Une pointed towards several key rings hanging on the wall to her left.  
  
-"The red ring. Viewing room 85. I will take this attitude of yours as a mission accepted for everyone else. Now, all of you are dismissed. You have one week to find a pilot, that's as much as we can give you. Now, get out!!!!"  
  
They were quickly ushered out of the room and the door crashed against their backs.  
  
-"Geez, Wu-man! Piss her off some more, would ya!?!?"  
  
-"Hm, you should really shut up, Maxwell. Lets go."  
  
He quickly moved down the corridor, with the others in tow.  
  
-"Soo, what exactly is in those tapes?"  
  
-"Trust me, Quatre. You don't want to know."  
  
-"But I'm going to find out anyway, right? Since we are all helping you analyze them."  
  
-"Only Maxwell will help me. The rest of you should look for other options."  
  
-"But. . ."  
  
-"Don't worry, Q-man! I'll tell you!"  
  
-"No, you won't!"  
  
-"Come on, Wu! They can't be that bad!"  
  
-"Maxwell, you always ask the same question so, if by now you don't know the answer, I'm not going to tell you. You'll have to wait and see!"  
  
That caused frowning to go around. What on earth was it with this people and keeping needed information from everyone around them? The expression on Wufei's face warned them not to pursue the issue, and so they quietly made their way towards their destination.  
  
Une sat in her darkened office, thinking. Fools. All of them. None had realized that she had not told them whom they were going to fight against. She was playing her cards, just as Treize had taught her to. Now all she had to do was sit back, relax, and watch as they tore each other's throats.  
  
She was so glad that Yuy was gone. He had been getting to close to the truth for comfort. One little call, though, had taken care of him.  
  
She couldn't help but smiling. Such a simple action, and yet it had taken care of the only threat against her plans. The others had fallen for it, especially after her last performance. The tapes were useless, they would never find anything helpful in them.  
  
She could see them through the security monitor located to her far right.  
  
Seven little paws in a game of chess. A game in which she was Queen.  
  
But she still needed an eighth. She needed Zero in the game if she was to win, and she knew very well that the others would find a new pilot, if given enough time.  
  
She was going to have to find one first.  
  
Damn this people, living their lives as if they were bad soap operas.  
  
She had witnessed Une's meeting with the pilots, using every single trick she knew to keep herself hidden in the shadows. Not an easy feat if you considered the fire-red hair and the extremely pale skin. She couldn't help but smile when she thought about her code name. Lucia. The light.  
  
Now, from her new hiding spot, she watched as a smirk crossed Une's face. That woman gave her the creeps. She was sure that Une was hiding something, and she wasn't really sure if she wanted to find out what.  
  
One peek at her wrist pad told her that the rest of her team was in position. They would have to pull back soon, as it was almost sunrise. No shadows would mean no cover to escape undetected, and it wouldn't do to get captured this early in the game.  
  
4:30. She had barely 30 minutes to leave some "clues" for the pilots and to get out.  
  
Another look at her wrist told her that 03 and 04 had retreated right on schedule. That only left 02 to cover her back.  
  
She quickly pulled her laptop out of her backpack. Time for a little magic.  
  
She moved herself farther into the vent and began tipping, the soft glow of the screen making her emerald eyes ache. Damnit, she had spent too long in the dark! Thanking the gods that she was touch-trained, she continued tipping, while trying to adjust to the change of lightening. Most of the time it was great to have enhanced eyesight, but in cases like this it was a bitch!  
  
Entering the last codes, she turned the computer off and made her way deeper into the vent system. Her exit point was on the roof, three floors up, 02 was already gone.  
  
Two more floors.  
  
-"01, we are all at the meeting point, over."  
  
-"Good, 03. I'm on my way. Over and out."  
  
She reached the roof in record time. A brief check revealed no followers. Stealthily, she made her way towards the northern edge and the cable she had left there earlier.  
  
The sun was already coming up. It was time to hurry, she had to be out of there before the guard came up for their first patrol  
  
A flick of her wrist sent the hook flying. She waited until she felt a soft tug on the other end and tied the cable to a nearby vent.   
  
A deep breath and she was on her way to the next building. She really didn't want to fall the 56 stories to the ground. Not like it would kill her, but she had never been fond of pain.  
  
Ten more meters and she was off. Pride enveloped her as she realized that the others had already taken care of the security measures. No one in sight, and yet she knew they were there. The best team. Always.  
  
Gunpowder. Its smell wafted up to her, familiar and exhilarating. She often wondered if normal people enjoyed life as much as they did. Her enhanced senses had always been a blessing, she couldn't even remember what being "normal", without that thrill, was like.  
  
And as the others joined her and they made their way to freedom, she didn't regret her past.  
  
Duo sat on the bathroom's floor, his back against the wall, desperately hoping that his stomach was finally empty.  
  
An image flashed through his mind, and he immediately bolted for the toilet.  
  
Just as he was collapsing back against his wall, the door opened and Quatre peeked in.  
  
-"Duo, are you all right?"  
  
Glare.  
  
-"Ok. Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
-"Trust me Q, you should be grateful that Wu didn't let you watch."  
  
-"That bad?"  
  
-"Ten times worse."  
  
They sat quietly for a few minutes, both lost in their thoughts.  
  
-"Well, I better go back. We aren't even half through."  
  
Quatre nodded mutely, not really paying attention. His space heart was telling him that something was desperately wrong, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.  
  
He looked out the window, just in time to see something snake by. He blinked, surprised, and looked again. Nothing.  
  
He moved towards the window and opened it, peering out. Everything was calm and in order, the sun was making its appearance and he could see the guards patrolling the building.  
  
With that, he turned and exited the room, returning to their search. 


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
-"Ok, what do we have?"  
  
Uncomfortable looks, people shaking on their seats and a couple of "sour throats". Zechs sighed.  
  
-"This is depressing. Are you guys sure none of them will do?"  
  
-"We checked every single record of every single pilot from the last war and none of them will work."  
  
-"Are you completely sure, Barton?"  
  
Nod. Sigh.  
  
-"How are we supposed to find a new pilot in one week?"  
  
-"Well, perhaps we could look for one of the original pilots."  
  
Wufei was standing at the door, a very green Duo behind him. The Deathscythe pilot plopped himself on the nearest chair while the others threw him concerned glances.  
  
-"What are you talking about, Chang? You are the original pilots."  
  
The Chinese man marched into the room, laptop in hand.  
  
-"We found this in one of the vid-disks. It was encoded, that's why we are late."  
  
In the screen appeared two familiar figures.  
  
-"J and Dekim Barton."  
  
Wufei nodded at Quatre.  
  
* Barton was looking at J pensively.  
  
-"So that's the Omega team."  
  
-"Yes, those are the kids I've been training to be the Gundam pilots."  
  
-"How good are they?"  
  
J positively beamed.  
  
-"120% over mission parameters. They've all gone on several individual missions and a couple of team ones. Not a single glitch, on any of them."  
  
Barton nodded thoughtfully, and moved towards the room's window.  
  
-"They're too good."  
  
-"I beg your pardon?"  
  
-"They are too good. What will happen if we give then the Gundams and they turn against us? We wouldn't stand a chance."  
  
He turned to J, a calculating look in his eyes.  
  
-"You said that the replacement pilots are already in training?"  
  
-"Yes, but they are still very inexperienced and. . . "  
  
-"How good is that boy? The blue eyed one?"  
  
J moved towards the window.  
  
-"04? He's good, but he is also the youngest."  
  
-"Get rid of the other four. Put that boy under your serum treatment and train the new ones harder."  
  
-"But. . . "  
  
-"One prefect soldier should be enough. See to it."  
  
Barton marched out the door before J could say a word. The old doctor stared after him and then turned back at the window with a sigh.  
  
-"Forgive me." *  
  
Quatre looked up at his ceiling. He couldn't sleep, even if he was exhausted. His mind kept going to Wufei's words: "the original pilots". He had Sandrock, but only because its legitimate owner was too good and had to be eliminated. It made him ill, just to think about it.  
  
He was a pilot because he wasn't good enough, because he was easy to control, easy to defeat. His thoughts then went to Heero. The perfect soldier, spared of the others fate because of a madman's wish. He understood now, at least partially, why his friend had pushed himself so much, why he expected so much from the other pilots.  
  
Well, he wasn't going to disappoint him now. They would find a pilot for Zero and they would defeat their enemies, once and for all.  
  
His mind went back to the idea: "find the original pilots". Duo had told them that in the tapes, a blond boy had appeared around the time when Heero was thirteen, and he was usually referred to as 05. Could it be that, somehow, J had managed to keep the others alive too? Noin had suggested that they look for 05, but Wufei had immediately said no. That kid had been nuts then, god only knew how he was now.  
  
That left three possible choices, depending on whether they were still alive or not.  
  
The problem was that they didn't have names, nor pictures. Not one single lead. Nothing. There had to be a link, they were overlooking something. He quickly went over what they knew about those pilots and, then, about the Gundams.  
  
Something clicked, and he suddenly knew what he had to do. He felt stupid, it was really simple. Only one thing was a constant to them all.  
  
Sleep forgotten, he dressed and bolted out of the room.  
  
He had to find Duo.  
  
They had a call to make.  
  
A soft snore echoed through the office. Wufei winced and turned to glare at the sleeping figure. It was his couch and he wanted to sleep, damnit!! And yet, he couldn't bring himself to wake her.  
  
With a growl, he turned back to his screen. He had been going through J's files for hours, and yet, he couldn't find anything on the three they were looking for. And now, to top it all, he couldn't break this code.  
  
Hurried sounds coming down the corridor, and a voice in particular, alerted him that someone that could probably crack the stupid code was on his way.  
  
The door opened, and a very excited Quatre, followed by a very puzzled Duo, entered the room.  
  
There was a loud thud from behind Wufei, accompanied by a string of very colorful curses.  
  
They all turned, only to find Sally sprawled out, face down, on the floor, obviously having fallen from the couch. The men tried to keep themselves from laughing, but when several words like "injustice" and "baka ona" joined her rant they lost it.  
  
A very red faced Sally turned to death-glare at them.  
  
-"Ha, ha. Really funny, you guys. You can quit laughing now."  
  
-"I'm sorry, Sally, but you have got to admit that you have been spending an awful lot of time with Wu-man. Hell, you're even ranting like him. If it keep like this, you should simply marry him!"  
  
Sally and Wufei turned beet red. Quatre began inching towards the door. As Wufei went for his katana, and Duo prepared to bolt, Sally pulled herself to her feet and walked towards the braided young man, sporting a seductive smile and giving a sexy swing to her hips. She stopped so close to Duo that he could feel her breath tickling his ear as she leaned towards it to whisper:  
  
-"Why, Duo. And here I was expecting that tonight we could try your new handcuffs, along with some strawberries and whip cream that I've got in my fridge."  
  
A wink, and she was one, leaving behind a giggling Quatre, a nose-bleeding Wufei (nice mental image that he was stuck with for the day) and a beet red Duo.  
  
-"She got you there, Duo-kun. She really did!!!"  
  
Lucia smiled softly as she watched 02, 03 and 04. Even if their training had still complete control of their lives (hell, she still couldn't stop herself from thinking of them as numbers, instead of their names), she knew they were finally enjoying said lives.  
  
Just looking at 03 ( she corrected herself) was proof of it. The girl was dancing and singing along to LeAnn Rhimes' "The right kind of wrong", ()while pretending that the rose she held in her hands was a microphone. The 20-year-old beauty had a great voice, too bad that she usually had to hide it. They simply couldn't afford calling attention towards themselves.  
  
On the far corner, she could see 02 and 04 discussing their next mission. () Her boyfriend and the boy considered as her baby brother.  
  
As if sensing her thoughts on him, Jack raised his eyes and winked at her.  
  
-"So, can it be done?"  
  
-"Was there ever any doubt?"  
  
-"Bay bro, here, has it all down to a t, but we have to get the pilots as far away from it as possible."  
  
-"That has already been taken care of."  
  
-"If so, then we are just waiting for you to give us the go."  
  
Joe handed her a laptop, and both girls peered at it curiously.  
  
-"Wow.!!!!"  
  
-"You said it, Gia. Well done, Jack."  
  
The boy nodded mutely and exited, probably going for the needed supplies.  
  
-"You do realize that after this stuns, we are going to have to add the Preventers to the list of people that are after our tails, don't you? The very long list, may I add."  
  
-"Yes, Joe, but it's the only way, hon. They already want a pilot, and that's exactly what we are going to give them, although not in a way they'd expect. Its gonna be priceless!!"  
  
None of them could help cracking a smile, picturing the shocked expressions their actions were going to cause. 


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
-"Remind me why we are standing under a freaking streetlamp, in the middle of a fucking storm!"  
  
-"Calm down, Wu-man. You know very well why we are here: we need information. And besides, a little water never killed anyone!!"  
  
Wufei looked down at the murky water, it already went halfway up his calves, and wasn't going down. His companions were as wet, muddy and cold as he was, and yet the American seemed completely unfazed by it.  
  
Muttering about the injustice of everything under the sun (err, you get the idea), he sent a longing look towards the little restaurant where Noin and Sally were waiting. It looked so cozy and warm. Inviting. And yet, the five of them were out here in the cold, waiting for the old man to appear.  
  
-"Injustice!"  
  
Gia looked down at Preventers Headquarters. The smirk on her lips was very unprofessional, but considering the nature of the mission (and the fact that the others were nowhere in sight) she was pretty sure that no one would mind.  
  
God! She could already picture the looks of surprise on those fools faces when they find out that their little fortress was not as inexpugnable as they believed it was.  
  
-"03, this is 02. 04 is already moving. It is your turn."  
  
-"Roger that. I'm on my way, 02. 03 out."  
  
Coordination, that was all that was required. Sure, you had to be more coordinated than if you were Siamese twins, but still.  
  
Shaking her head, she picked up her backpack and stepped to the edge of the roof, while she rechecked the armored cuff on her right arm. Satisfied, she strapped on the rest of her equipment and leapt of the ledge, her eyes fixed on the horizontal flagpole that meant the difference between pain and success.  
  
On the last possible second, she tensed her arm and the secure hook and cable hidden in the cuff went flying.  
  
With a soft clang, the hook caught and she went sailing back into the air.  
  
In mid swing, the hook let go, and the cable reeled back in. She twisted in midair, and landed expertly, right in position, in the middle of the Headquarters' grounds.  
  
-"This is 03, I'm in position."  
  
-"You don't have to sound so smug. Proceed. 01 out."  
  
Gia glared and stuck her tongue out childishly at her wrist pad. Muttering a few curses, she quickly made her way into the vent system. Time for step two.  
  
Lucia was crawling. Damn, she was hating this part more than what she had expected, but someone had o do it. What made it even worse was the fact that she was crawling through the sewers. She really didn't want to think about what she was moving through.  
  
Sigh. If only she were stronger or more agile, perhaps she could have gotten something better to do.  
  
She winced as a patch of substance with a particularly nasty look appeared in her way.  
  
Her exit point came into view a few seconds later, just as Gia's confirmation came through.  
  
Out of her torment, she quickly made her way into the nearest storage shed. It was full to the brim with weapons.  
  
She raided their explosives' supplies and went on her merry way, planting them as she went.  
  
Joe was enjoying himself. His part in this mission was over, and he had been left at home, with a bag of potato chips and a radio as company. He could hear his girlfriend's curses and couldn't help but smile devilishly. He could still see the enraged expression on that milky white face as he told her what part of the mission she was going to have to do. He just wished that she never found out about the sewers not being the only access point to the weapons storage sheds. If she did, there was gonna be hell to pay.  
  
He received confirmation from both girls, their parts on the mission were going into stage 3.  
  
Now it was all in Jack's hands.  
  
-"04, how ya doing?"  
  
-"Almost done. The engines are warm. Engaging stealth mode and external cooling system. 02, how much longer?"  
  
-"Just stay put, I'll give you the go, ok?"  
  
-"Roger that. 04, standing by."  
  
-"01, how are you girls doing?"  
  
-"I'm "tagging" Une. Ill be out of her office in a minute. How long do we have?"  
  
-"I need you on the roof in two minutes flat. Can you manage?"  
  
-"03 is already there, I'll be joining her in time, but just in case."  
  
-"I know, babe. Now hurry up. 03, do you have a visual on the objective?"  
  
-"Negative. Can you believe these fools? They're actually helping us by closing access to everyone and everything within a mile radius. How stupid can one get?"  
  
-"They're not expecting anything, G. That's what makes this so perfect."  
  
-"I guess. I've got a visual. The objectives are within range. Where the hell is 01?"  
  
-"I'm on my way."  
  
-"Good to know. As you have the fucking detonators!!"  
  
-"Even if this line is secure, you should keep your mouth shut 03."  
  
Joe winced at the iciness in her tone. His baby was pissed of.  
  
-"You haven't found any resistance, have you, girls?"  
  
-"Nope, coms was empty, as was the command center."  
  
-"Weapons storage and Une's office were clear. Everyone is downstairs, waiting to see their new toys. Too bad they're not going to enjoy themselves for long. Ok, we are both in position. Just in time, too."  
  
-"This is 04. I'm ready. And could you guys please stop the chit chat? It is getting on my nerves."  
  
-"Touchy, aren't ya?"  
  
-"Hn. Shut up, G!!"  
  
-"Ok, ok. No need to yell."  
  
-"Quiet, people!!"  
  
Yup, that was his family, all right. Anyone that was hearing this and new them would never believe what a perfect team they were. Hell, it was still hard to believe that the four misfit kids they had once been had turned out into such incredible operatives.  
  
Yes, sis. He was proud. Of his siblings, of his lover, and of all they had managed to achieve. All on their own, all by themselves. No-one could take that, or this mission's objective, away from them.  
  
And they would always succeed, because failure meant death. 


	9. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
Duo was getting itchy (in a polite way). Something was wrong. The old man was already an hour late; he was never late.  
  
A look at his companions told him that they felt the same way: drenched through and utterly miserable.  
  
But he had promised to come, and so, they waited.  
  
-"Why don't you guys step inside, were it is warm?"  
  
-"Noin!! You should be inside!!"  
  
-"Shut up, Zechs!! She can be wherever she wants!!"  
  
-"Ona!! You should be inside, too!!"  
  
-"Don't get me started, Chang!!"  
  
-"It is good to see that the Gundam pilots remain as sharp as ever."  
  
Everyone turned to look at the speaker. Wearing a tan trench coat and drenched to the bone, Howard was giving them an amused glare.  
  
-"If you are expecting to confront the Omegas , and you are gonna act like this. Well, lets say that it is gonna be a really short confrontation. Ending with you guys eaten alive, metaphorically speaking."  
  
Embarrassed silence.  
  
-"So you do know them?"  
  
-"The right term, 04, is knew. It has been years since I saw any of them, the last one being Heero. More than five years, actually."  
  
-"But you can tell us about them."  
  
-"Not much, and definitely not here, 03. Lets go into that little restaurant these fine ladies came from, before we turn into walking soups."  
  
-"As if we already weren't drenched."  
  
-"Come on, Wu-man!! Cheer up!! You'll soon be dry, and you can get a better view of Sally's assets once we have better illumination!!"  
  
-"Maxwell!! Kisama!! Don't you ever shut up!?!?"  
  
-"Only when my mouth is busy elsewhere, Wu-man!!"  
  
Wufei's resulting nosebleed made them laugh all the way into the restaurant.  
  
Lucia was, by now, really bored. How long could it take for those idiots in the court yard to check that the machines contained in the trailers were the ones they were expecting?  
  
Thank the gods that Gia had brought a mace of cards. Damn, even poker was better than watching all those stupid ants ogling the cargo.  
  
-"Full house."  
  
-"Poker of fives."  
  
-"What the hell!?!? You're cheating again, aren't you?"  
  
-"G, I don't need to cheat and you know it."  
  
-"I know, but still."  
  
-"They're moving."  
  
Both girls moved closer to the edge of the roof, detonators held firmly in their hands.  
  
The trailers were indeed moving. Green and purple eyes quickly found their mark: the second to last.  
  
-"Let the show begin."  
  
Gia nodded. By unspoken agreement, both of then waited until the last trailer was inside the gates before pressing the small red buttons.  
  
Lady Une had been supervising the arrival of her master cards. She finally had them in her hands, and she wasn't planning on letting them go until they weren't useful to her any more.  
  
It almost made her sad, not having the pilots here. This was the moment in which she finally got her first taste of victory, and she wanted to enjoy it alone. Soon they would find out about her little friend, the man that was making all of this possible. To think that Yuy had been so close to stopping them. Ah, but the fool had not realized the truth until the last moment, until his end. The memory of his expression as he had looked upon them on the screen, realization coming into those blue eyes. Too bad the explosion had ended the video feed, it would have made the memory perfect if she had been able to watch his face as he died, betrayed by someone he trusted with his life.  
  
Stupid and trusting to his end.  
  
The others would meet him soon enough.  
  
She gave the go to the drivers, and the trailers bean the 100 yard drive to the Gundams new hangar.  
  
Mere seconds after the gates had closed behind them, the storage sheds to the far left blew into a ball of fire, closely followed by the fifteenth and twenty-seventh floors of the main building.  
  
-"What the hell is going on!?!?"  
  
-"Ma'am, command center is down, as is communications!! All the weapons storages inside the compound are gone as well!!"  
  
-"I can see that you idiotic. . . !!!!!!!!"  
  
The rest of what she said was drowned as another explosion rocked the building.  
  
-"That would be the rest of our weapons, Ma'am."  
  
-"Find whomever is responsible for this!!! Find them now!!!"  
  
The soldier began to desperately try to lead a search. Une screamed commands to every person available, but she had the feeling that it was already too late. Whomever had planned this hit on the Preventers knew what they were doing and were probably long gone.  
  
As she commanded her men, she realized that the trailers containing the Gundams had stopped with first explosion. They were sitting ducks, right there in the middle of the court yard, for anyone with half a decent aim.  
  
-"Get those trailers out of here!!!! Get them somewhere safe!!!!"  
  
The drivers immediately complied, and the trailers continued their march towards the hangar.  
  
-"Ma'am, the fires are under control. It seems that only the ones in the storage sheds caused real damage. The others were small incendiary bombs, set close to the windows and designed to cause more panic than real damage. We are searching every nook and cranny of the building, but with due respect, I don't think we'll find anything. I await your orders, Ma'am."  
  
-"So, basically, all of this was a fucking distraction."  
  
-"Yes, Ma'am."  
  
-"Well, as you can see. IT FUCCKING WORKED!!!! I want everyone that can be spared back in retraining, and I want security increased and a complete check-up of every defensive system in the whole compound. This is ridiculous! The best military base in the whole ESUN and we cant fucking find out who did this I want them court-martialed by Monday at the latest, is that clear!?!?"  
  
-"Yes, Ma'am."  
  
-"Then. MOVE!!!!"  
  
Une stomped by the poor man and entered the hangar. The head of technicians was already having the Gundams checked over.  
  
-"Any damage?"  
  
-"It doesn't seem likely, Ma'am, but we still haven't checked them all."  
  
Une sat down on a crate and watched as each Gundam was moved out of its trailer, checked over, and set in its respective docking area.  
  
-"Hmm, Boss? You probably want to check this out."  
  
The head of technicians moved towards the trailer he had been called from, and stopped in shock. Une looked at him curiously, the man had turned an interesting shade of white.  
  
-"Hmm, Ma'am? I believe there has been some damage."  
  
Alarmed, she move until she was standing next to him, eyes fixed on the trailer. On the empty trailer.  
  
As calmly as she could, Une stepped away and counted the MS's displayed before her. The hit was like a ton of bricks, and sent her in a round of cursing that could easily rival with any of Wufei's rants.  
  
Wing Zero was gone. 


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
The café had a homely air to it, with it's warm lights and cheery atmosphere, and it was decidedly an improvement from the chilling rain that had been pouring on them for quiet a while. Several hot drinks were quickly ordered, as they all piled up into one of the larger corner boots. They were all impatient for the information they knew they would pump out of Howard, but the older man seemed to think he owned time (hell, he even flirted with the waitress!!!) and that they had nothing better to do than wait for him.  
  
In the end, Wufei's gun poking his side told the old man just how impatient they were, and he immediately sent the girl on her merry way.  
  
-"Well, damn. Twitchy, are we??? Ok, what is it that you kids need so desperately??"  
  
Quatre had been appointed speaker, so he quickly launched into an edited version of their story. Howard listened attentively (or at least seemed to) and refrained from asking questions. Duo couldn't help but smile, after all, Howard was as much of a chatterbox as himself, and he knew that the lack of details had to be eating the old man inside out.  
  
-"So you want my help in finding a new pilot for Zero? And you only have a week to do so?? Is that boss of yours still sane, or is she on her way to the loony bin??"  
  
-"I believe the lady's mental health isn't in question, right now. The real question is whether or not you're willing to help us on our quest."  
  
-"Don't go political on me, boy. I ain't a worker in your little company. As for helping you, you still haven't told me what exactly you want with me. You say you need a pilot, and if that's true, why do you need my help?? I'm pretty sure you could find an acceptable replacement for Yuy."  
  
Howard didn't catch Duo's wince, as the braided one was standing behind him, but the others did and sympathized with his feelings.  
  
-"We're not looking for a replacement for Heero, per se. we just need someone responsible and good enough to take Zero into battle, along with the rest of us."  
  
-"And that's not a replacement??"  
  
-"Stop making it difficult for Quatre, old man. It ain't his fault that this is happening."  
  
Howard's eyes turned to Duo, and for the first time he realized the pain his words had caused the American. Violet pools of ill-concealed pain were looking straight into his soul, almost as if they were trying to read its secrets. The older man broke eye contact as fast as he dared, not willing to face that pain.  
  
-"I'll listen."  
  
-"We're not looking just for any pilot, Howard. It's come to our knowledge that there were others. others that were destined to pilot the Gundams, and to which we were only replacements."  
  
-"Ah, so you've heard about the Omegas, haven't you?? Fine lot of kids, that one. J's pet project, right along with Wing. Too bad he was never able to really see them in action."  
  
Hopeful eyes fixed on him, as they all held their breaths. If this meant what they hoped. if at least one of the originals had survived. their quest would be over, and they would be able to deal with the threat to peace all the faster. They owed to Heero to protect peace. The blue-eyed boy had given away so much for it. they wouldn't allow that dream to fade.  
  
-"Can you tell us about them???"  
  
-"It depends on what you want to know. No one, except J, knew the whole story about the omegas, or how he managed to make the program work. What the change required from the person undertaking the procedure. the strain it set on the body. was so extreme that most of J's subjects died. Only five survived, and of them only four were stable enough to be any good."  
  
-"Stable??? Wufei said O5 didn't look completely sane, is that what you mean by that??"  
  
Zech's question had obvious approval, as all eyes returned to Howard.  
  
-"I should probably start at the beginning, shouldn't I?? It'll probably clear up most of your doubts, and then you'll really understand what the war was about. And what the other people involved in it with you sacrificed and the sins they committed to insure it's ending." 


End file.
